After more than 35 years teaching at the school, though, Musarra is hanging up his whistle and retiring.

“I’m strong and I don’t really cry a lot but, when he leaves on the last day of school, I probably am going to cry,” said Dwight Holden, an 11-year-old at Bacon School.

“He was a good coach. He never doubted me and he was always on my side.”

Every student comes at attention when the coach speaks to them in the school gymnasium, nicknamed “The Cave,” and he makes sure to make eye contact with each and every child.

Playtime at first appears chaotic but, as Musarra points out, there is a gentle order to it. Children help other children, everybody is moving and working out their heart and, whenever there is a problem, the children must go into the corner and talk it out with each other.

All the while, Musarra sits on an elevated stage with a sound system, playing music for the kids and keeping an eye out for each one.

“If one kid goes down, you’ll see 10 kids go over to them,” Musarra said. “It is a family atmosphere.”

That’s where his creed comes from, “Then, now, always family.”

Musarra came up with the phrase, which can be seen on the back of gym shirts, his first year working at the school.

The family theme is repeated throughout the children’s time in “The Cave,” which extends outside of the gymnasium and even after they graduate from Bacon School.

Alumni continue to wear their shirts bearing the phrase, according to Musarra, and have pride in their elementary school.

That pride was best exemplified during Olympic Day on May 29, an annual competition within the school district that Musarra helped start more than 30 years ago.

Each elementary school competes in different track and field events, with Bacon School finding themselves on the podium a majority of the time.

“He’s just something special,” said Deputy Mayor Jim Quinn. “He has that energy and charisma and love for the kids.”

Quinn has known Musarra for years and knows just how important he is to Bacon School.

“There will be a void, there’s no question about it,” Quinn said. “I don’t know if you could ever replace a guy like Rocky.”

For the last time at Olympic Day, Musarra cheered on his kids and caught each one as they crossed the finish line during their races.

“He’s just like everybody’s father and he always cares about everyone,” said Shelby Souders, an 11-year-old at Bacon School. “I just don’t want to see him leave.”

Approaching his retirement, Musarra looks forward to taking his boat out on the water, feeling sand between his toes and feeling the kind of ocean breeze that can’t be found in Cumberland County.

“It’s time now,” he said. “I’d like to spend a little more time with my own kids and, of course, my wife.”

He admits that he is bad at saying good-bye but, for his last fifth grade class’ graduation, he plans on sitting in the front row and giving his best wishes to the students that have looked up to him since they were in kindergarten.